Loose-leaf sheet dispenser



March 31, 1953 w. MARANO LOOSE-LEAFfiHEET DISPENSER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1Filed Dec. 29, 1950 IN V EN TOR. #525521 MAI/wave ATTORNEY.

March 31, 1953 H. w. MARANO 2,633,373 LOOSE-LEAF SHEET DISPENSER FiledDgg. 29, 1950 2 $iEETS--SHEET 2 IN V EN T 0R. A ewaser M MAFIA/o.

BY e wm A TTOR NE Y.

Patented Mar. 31, 1953 Iierbert W, Mazrano, Brooklyn, N.

Y., assignor to Wilson Jones Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of.Massachusetts Application December 29, 1950, Serial No. 203,330

2 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to loose-leaf paper dispensers,and is a continuation-i-n-part of application Serial No. 198,561, filedDecember 1, 1950 now Patent No. 2,609,219 issued September 2, 1952. Inparticular, the present invention relates to a device for dispensingsheets from a stack thereof wherein the entire uppermost sheet in thestack may be removed without tearing any part thereof, and wherein, onremoval of the uppermost sheet, at least the end of the succeeding sheetin the stack is retained under pressure and automatically shiftedupwardly, and presented for use. Calendar pads, scratch note pads andthe like are well adapted for use with the device hereof.

Conventional loose-leaf paper dispensers provide clamps or crossbarsacross .an end thereof which are screw threaded to the base on which thestacked sheets rest, which cross-bars ride down the stack as sheets areremoved therefrom.

This type of structure necessitates care in perforating the. individualsheets andperfect registry in stacking them in vertical alignment forplacement on the base, and involves the necessity for loosening thescrews for the following operations, or for removing them entirely whena new stack is to be placed on the base and thereafter replaced.Further, this type of dispenser requires the top sheet to be torn fromthe clamped end thereof on removal from the dispenser. Of course, thesheets may be scored or partially severed prior to insertion in theholder, but in any event, the removal of portions of several successivetop sheets leaves raw edges at the clamp line, and these become raggedand unsightly after a number of the sheets are successively removed. Thepresent invention eliminates all these ob- .jections, and in addition,oifers numerous advantages over prior structures. 1

The main object of the present invention is the provision of aloose-leaf paper dispenser wherein the. stacked sheets are yieldinglyclamped together and confined at least at only one end thereof, and anentire sheet may be removed from the stack without. disturbing theremainder of the stack. or in any way disarranging the dispenser .or anyof the parts thereof.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device ofthe character described which may be loaded easily, quickly and neatly,without disassembly of the device or any part thereof and withoutdisturbing any of the sheets already in the stack. I

, Still another object. of the present invention is the provision in adevice of the character described 01' a base member having a false floorloaded;

portion therein, pivoted at an end thereof to yieldingly urge thestacked sheets upwardly and towards a stop member, between which falsefloor and stop the stack is yieldingly clamped.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision, in adevice of the character described, of resilient stack support memberpivotally connected to the base at one end thereof, and swingable at itsother end towards a stop member vertically spaced upwardly thereofwhereby to grip the stacked sheets th'erebetween, the said support beingdepressible to insert sheet ends therebetween and the stop, incombination with means to retain the swingable end in depressedposition.

Still another object of the present inventionis the provision of aloose-leaf paper dispenser having a stack receptacle open at the topexcept at an end thereof, and open at the front and along part of thesides, whereby access to the receptacle may be had easily and quickly,the device including a spring operated false floor which. is disposedwithin the device ior pivotal. movement adjacent the open front end.

Other and further objects of the present invention will, in part, .beobvious and, in. part, specifically pointed out in the followingdescription of an illustrative embodiment thereof.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Figure '1 is a perspective view of one form of paper stack dispenserconstructed according to and embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section therethrough, with the partsarranged in fully loaded condition;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 partially Figure 4 is a bottomplan view,.- partly broken away to illustrate structural andoperational. details; and

Figure 5 is: an exploded view in perspective of the components of thepaper stack dispenser according to the present invention.

The device generally is indicated by reference numeral It, and comprisesa holder l2 which includes a fiat-lying rectangularly shaped base I4upwardly angled from the front to the rear thereof, a rear wall it atright angles to floor l4, and upwardly extended side walls l8, 18 whichtaper down in height from adjacent rear wall Hi towards the front 20 ofthe holder. The edge of front 25 curves down to meet the lower edge ofthe device so as to rest flatly and smoothly against any supportingsurface, as at 21.; Base [4 is provided With depending leg portions 22,22,

wardly thereof.

extending lengthwise of holder I2, whereby it is raised and supportedupwardly of and at an angle to any flat surface on which the device maybe rested, legs 22, 22 being higher at the rear than at the front,whereby floor I4 is angled upwardly from the front to the rear. HolderI2 may be formed as a unit by molding, casting or otherwise of plasticmaterial, metal or other suitable material, or may be formed of a numberof elements joined together.

A short, transversely extending wall 24 is provided across base M,projecting upwardly at right angles thereto, spaced inwardly from theside walls I8, I8. A pair of rectangular openings 23, 23 are providedthrough floor I4, one on each side of wall 22, although openings ofother shapes may well be employed for tailed hereinafter. The innerfacing aspects of side walls I8, I8, at the rear thereof and adjacentrear wall I8, are grooved as indicated at 38, to provide slots or nichesin said side walls, grooves 38, 38 tapering downwardly as shown. Arecess or journal 32 is provided near the lower edge of each niche 38,the recesses being horizontally aligned.

A bridge stop member 48 is provided, of metal, plastic material or thelike, having a flat lying centerbar component 42 of length equal to thedistance between side walls I8, I8. At each end of bar 42, there isprovided a downturned leg 44, shaped so as to be fitted and receivedinto niches 38, but with more steeply tapered sides. Each leg 44, on itsouter aspect, is provided with an outwardly extended pin or journal 46.The material of bridge 48 is preferably such that legs 44, 44 may bebent inwardly to pass downwardly between sides I8, I8. When pins 48, 48are aligned with recesses 32, 32, legs 44, M are permitted to spreadapart, seating pins 46, 48 in the recesses 32, 32 and trapping bridge 48to holder I2. Bridge 48 may, because of the narrower legs M, 44 withingroves 38, 38, be swung slightly back and forth in the grooves, thereason for this rocking action to be given below. A window 43 may beprovided in bridge bar 12, as desired, through which material printed onthe sheets thereunder may be viewed.

A floor member 58 is provided, consisting of a thin, fiat-rectangularsheet dimensioned as to fit within the margins of and over holder I2.Floor 58 may be formed of metal, wood or plastic material, thedesidera't'a being strength and rigidity. The front edge 52 of fioor 58has a pair of fingers 54 formed therein, preferably integral with thebody of the floor, fingers 54, 54 extending downwardly and forwardly,and spaced apart to correspond with the spacing of apertures 23, 23 soas to register therewith. The rear edge 53 is downturned, as seen inFigures 2 and 3.

In assembling my device, fingers 54, 54 are keyed into apertures 23, 23as convenient, and floor 58 dropped inside the walls I6, I8, prior, ofcourse, to the insertion of bridge stop 40. A pair of leaf springs 58,58 are secured to the underside of floor 58, by means of screws 68, 68passing through registering apertures 82, 64 in the end of each leaf andin floor 58. The free ends 86 of each spring leaf are curved upwardlyslightly, and extend towards the rear of the plate, resting atop base I4and resiliently urging floor 58 up- As floor 58 is urged downwardlyagainst base I4, spring ends 58, 58 will slide along base I4, towardsthe rear thereof, as the springs are flattened by the downward pressureon floor 58, d v I the purposes to be de- Means are provided to retainfloor 58 releasably in its depressed position as shown in Figure 2,these means comprising an engagement between floor 58 and base I4. Acylindrical, bullet shaped plunger 88 is secured to the underside offloor 58 nearer the rear end thereof, depending therefrom at rightangles thereto, in axial alignment with a circular aperture 82 in baseI4. Aperture 82 is of greater diameter than plunger 88 in order that thelatter may extend into and through the former quite readily. The lower,leading end of plunger 88 is bullet shaped, tapering to a narrow noseend 84. A peripheral annular groove 861s formed in the body of theplunger spaced from the upper end thereof and from the lower end. Theposition of groove 86 is such that on depression of floor 58, andpassage of plunger 88 into and through fioor aperture 82, groove 86 isimmediately below the underside of the floor, where it may be engaged bya spring mechanism whereby to releasably hold floor 58 substantiallyflatly atop base I4.

The releasable locking mechanism 89 consists of a strip of relativelystiff and heavy wire or rod of resilient material shaped to provide ahorizontal arm 98 terminating at one end thereof in an eye 92, the otherend being bent downwardly as at 94 and terminating in an eye or fingerpiece 96 in a plane at right angles to that of eye 92. A threaded bolt98 is provided, passing through eye 92 and into a tapped aperture I88through base I4 on one side of aperture 82, in line with the front edgethereof, thereby to fasten the looking mechanism 89 securely to theunderside of base I4. A second bolt I82 is provided and threaded into atapped aperture I84 spaced laterally of aperture I88 on the same side ofaperture 82 and also in line with the front edge thereof, bolt I82bearing against arm 98 on one side of aperture 82 to hold same inposition across aperture 82 as shown in Figure 3.

The operation of my stack support is as follows: Assuming the device tobe empty of any sheets and it is desired to load same, a false floor 58is pushed downwardly against the resistance of spring arms 58, 58. Astheir resistance is overcome, and the spring arms are flattened, floor58 pivots about its trapped and engaged front end 52, and swingsdownward to approach base I4. Plunger is borne through aperture 82, andits bullet nose 84 will ride against spring arm 88, camming sameradially out of line about bolt I82, and permitting the body of plunger88 to ride past arm 98. As plunger groove 86 is brought to the samelevel as arm 98, the biasing or loading thereof will cause said arm 98to spring into groove 86, thereby retaining false floor 58 substantiallyfiatly against base M, as shown in Figure 2. Bridge stop 48 is rockedslightly to raise the front thereof whereupon a stack of sheetedmaterial as II8 may be slid onto floor 58 with the forward end thereofunder bridge bar 40.

The device as a unit is then raised to provide accessto the undersidethereof for manipulation of the catch mechanism. Finger piece 96 ispulled towards the front of the device, thereby withdrawing spring arm98 from groove 86 in plunger 88, and permitting springs 58, 58 to raisefalse floor 58 and cause same to swing upwardly, pivoting about theengaged front end 52, the rear end 53 swinging upwardly towards thebridge stop bar 48 and resiliently clamp the stack H8 between the falsefioor and the bridge stop bar at theffoifward end of the stack. As thetop sheet llfla is used, it may be removed from the stack simply bypulling same out from underneath bridge bar 40, whereupon the pressureof springs 58, 58 will be exerted against the remainder of the stack, asseen in Figure 3.

With the device as above described, the sheets need not be perforated,they need not be scored or slitted for removal from beneath the bridgebar holder, and the replacement of the stack is simply and easilyperformed.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the sheets are of such length that thelowermost thereof will extend between front wall 24 and rear wall I6.The short front wall 24 spaced from the side walls and the tapered sidewalls I8, l8 permit full and free access at all times at least to thefront end of the uppermost sheet in the stack, both for working thereonor removal thereof. While, with a full stack the uppermost sheet, atleast, will be substantially parallel to base I4, the removal ofsuccessive sheets will ultimately present the uppermost sheet at anangle thereto, as seen in Figure 3.

My device is of simple construction, of relatively few and inexpensiveparts, and easy to assemble and operate, and is featured by ease ofloading and sheet removal because of the provision of the pivoted falsefloor 50 and the rocking bridge stop, which make the above and otheradvantages possible.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A loose-leaf sheet stack dispenser device of the character describedcomprising a fiat-lying base member, stack confining walls extendingupwardly from the base along each side and at the rear thereof, stackretainer means overlying the rearward end of the base in spaced relationthereto and pivotal with respect thereto, a false floor overlying saidbase and substantially coextensive in area therewith, openings in thebase at the front thereof, integral projections depending downwardlyfrom the floor and forwardly thereof loosely interfitting into theopenings in the base and permitting swinging movement of the rear end ofthe floor about the engaged front end, a plurality of spring leavesbetween the floor and base, the leaves extending lengthwise of thedispenser, one end of each spring being secured to the floor nearer thefront end thereof,

the free ends of said leaves resting atop the base nearer the rearthereof, said spring leaves normally urging the free end of the floorupwardly of the base and towards the retainer means, cooperating lockingmeans on the floor and base adapted to releasably retain the fioor in adepressed condition thereof substantially flatly against the baseagainst the normal biasing of the spring leaves, and lock release meanson the underside of the base, operation of which releases the floor andpermitting the spring leaves to swing the disengaged forward end of thefloor upward y to compress the stack between the floor and the retainingmeans.

2. A loose-leaf sheet stack retainer device as claimed in claim 1,wherein the cooperating looking means comprise an elongated bulletshaped plunger secured to and depending from the underside of the floor,an annular groove in the body of the plunger spaced from the leading endthereof, an aligned opening through the base, and a spring on theunderside of the base extending off-center across the opening, movementof the leading end of the plunger down through the opening displacingthe spring, the spring fitting into the annular groove to engage theplunger on depression of the plunger through the opening to the pointwhere the groove and spring are horizontally aligned, and manuallyengageable means on the spring to withdraw same from the groove.

HERBERT W. MARANO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 405,596 Petsche June 18, 1889463,256 Side Nov. 17, 1891 680,589 Henkle Aug. 13, 1901 1,010,916 JohnDec. 5, 1911 1,320,656 Stith Nov. 4, 1919 1,841,630 Reiter Jan. 19, 1932FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 459 Great Britain Jan. 9, 1894

